Coin-controlled vending-machine.



R. I. HILL. com coNTRoLLED VENDING Moms. i 4 APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 20, 1`906. EENEWED JUNE 3, 1908.` l

899,979,- 'Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

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UNITED srArEsrArENr onrrcn RAYMOND 1. niLL, or ELYRIA, onro.`

Y coIN-coNTRoriLED VENDING-MACH'INE.

Y Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

Application filed DecemberZO, 1906, Serial No. 348,801. Renewed June 3, 1908. Serial No. 436,469.

To all whom it may concern: l Be it known that 1RAYMONi) I. HILL, a citizen of the United States, i residingmat Elyria, in the county of'Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certaingnew and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Vendin Machines, of which the followingis a specication. r i

This invention relatesto'coin controlled vending machines and has in viewa simple and practical machine of this character embodying means for conveniently vending such articles as matches, salted peanuts, cigars, and the like.

To this end theinvention primarily contemplates a type of v machine possessing special utility for conveniently selling a predetermined quantity ofmatches in bulk, although capable of general application for the handling and sale of any article thatv can be conveniently held inthemagazine and'delivered or discharged through the action of the discharging plunger of thev machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical means lof utilizing the coin as the coupling or connecting element between l. the operating slide andthe discharging plunger of the machine, and 'also providing means wherebyit is-impossible to operate the machine except when a coinis properly positioned between,` the elements referred to. f i

Another object in this connection is to provide a construction wherein a-coin isautomatically released and ejected from its operative position onthe return stroke of the y operating slide. Y r

With these and many other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction,

combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed. r l

`The essential features of the invention in volved in carrying out the objects above in-` dicated are necessarilysusceptible to struc` tural `change without departing from the scope of theinvention, a preferred-embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: i Y 1 Figure 1 is a side view of a coin controlled vending machine embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 isa vertical central longitudinal sectional view of the same," Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing Alarly referred to.

the parts in their normal position and a coin introduced onto the coin holder of the operating slide. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the operating slide and plunger lifted to a yposition for discharging thefvended articles through the delivery opening of the machine onto the receiving tray. Fig. 5 is' a cross sectional view on `the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, showing the position of the coin in dotted lines.

Like references designate corresponding partition frame 6 supported at its front lower end upon frame leg members 7 restin -on the bottom 5` of the case. rlhis incline partition frame 6 andthe leg members 7 thereof are spaced a distance from the front wall 2 toV rovidean intervening vertically disposed slidbway 8 within which re isters and slides a vertically reciprocating ischarging plunger 9, lwhich Wil be, presently more particu- Also, the said inclined partition frame `6 supports thereon an inclined vpartition plate l0 constituting the main par ltition, which divides the interior of the machine case into a magazine compartment 11 and a lower money receptacle 12, the latter being desi ed to receive and hold the used coins Whic may be removed from time to time through a door inclosed opening 13 arranged at any readily accessible point in the case.Y 'In addition to performing the function of a dividing partition, the said late 10 acts in the capacity of a feeding tab e upon which is supported the matches in bulk, or otherV articles stored in the ma azine comartment 11 to be vended from t e machine.

y reason of the upward inclination of the table or plate 10 the articles have a tendency to gravitate toward the front Wall 2 of the case and lie over andupon the inclined lifting head 14 rovided at the top end of the plunger 9 and) designed to lie flush with the plate .10, asa continuation thereof when the plun- `parts inthe several figures of the drawings.

ger rests in its lowermost position. To provide for checking the feed of the articles onto -the plunger head 14 there is preferably arranged within the front part of the magazine compartment 11 a pendent check plate 15. This plate is preferably secured to the outer side of the case top 4 and the lower end 16 of said plate lies above the feeding table or plate 10 a sufficient distance to leave a feed throat 17 of a size permitting only the proper number of articles to pass into the space above the plunger head 14, thereby holding back in the magazine compartment the main bulk or body of the articles to be vended.

The vertically reciprocating discharging plunger 9 is preferably of a hollow formation and may be conveniently constructed of sheet metal, but to secure effective action the said plunger is preferably co extensive in .length with the depth of the slideway 8 accommodating the same, and in its front wall is provided a longitudinally disposed clearance slot 18 accommodating therein the spaced supporting arms 19 projecting inwardly from a vertically reciprocating operating slide 2() and constituting the coin holder for the coin introduced into the machine for operating the same. The discharging plunger is provided at its lower end with a closed bottom portion 21 constituting a coin tray having the bottom and side deliecting plates 22 and 23 respectively, said plates being downwardly inclined to provide for insuring the deflection of the coin through the coin discharge opening 24 at the lower end and inner side of the plunger 9, and into the coin receptacle or compartment 12 below the table or partition 10.

The coin tray 2 1 constituting the bottom of the discharging plunger 9 is spaced from and lies below the plane of a fixed abutment lug 25 projected forwardly from the rear wall of the plunger 9 and adapted to overlie the coin holder of the operating slide in a plane between the arms 19 constituting said coin holder. At this point it will be observed that in the vertical plane of the lug 25, the bottom deflecting plate 22 of the plunger coin tray is preferably formed at itsfront end with an upturned rest linger 26 which supports and braces the coin at its under side when held in the coin holder 19-19 and drawn against the abutment lug 25 to provide for coupling or connecting the operating slide of the discharging plunger. When the parts are thus connected the plunger head 14 is adapted to be lifted or drawn into the plane of the vertical delivery opening 27 provided in the front wall 2 of the case. Matches or other articles which drop through the front delivery opening 27 are caught and held in the purchasers receiving tray 28 fitted to the front wall of the case contiguous to and below the plane of the said opening 27. In the upward movement of the connected operating slide and discharging plunger, the held coin c is carried against an inwardly bowed ejecting spring 29 suitably fitted to the front part of the machine case and projecting through the front clearance slot 18 of the discharging plunger. As the coin is drawn against and onto the spring 29 the same is placed under compression so that immediately upon releasing the upward pull or pressure on the operating slide, and hence releasing the clamping pressure upon the coin, the spring 29 is free to act and kick the coin olf of its support and through the opening 24 into the money receptacle 12.

The vertically reciprocating operating slide 20 is preferably mounted to work in an incased guideway 30 constructed within the front part of the machine case at the inner side of its front wall and extending from the bottom of the case to the plane of the delivery opening 27. The plate member 3] forming the inner wall of the guideway 3() is longitudinally slotted, as at 32, to correspond with the clearance slot 18 of the dis charging plunger, and the front wall of the machine case, which constitutes the front wall of the guideway 30, is also provided with a longitudinal play slot 33, which accommodates the play of the outwardly projecting pull knob or handle 34 rigidly vlitted to the operating slide 20. The slide 20 is provided near its lower end with a coin slot 35 arranged in the horizontal plane of the coin holder 19-19 and adapted to register with a similar slot 36 formed in a shiftable guard plate 87 This guard plate is slidably supported in front of the guideway 30 for the operating slide at the lower end of the machine case, and is arranged to have a limited vertical play over a holding screw 38 fitted to a fixed point of abutment, and proj ecting through the limiting slot 39 provided in the plate 37 above its coin slot 36. The plate 37 has projected therefrom a connect ing stud 40 to which is connected one end of the retracting spring 41, the other end of which is connected with the pull knob 34 or other fixed part of the operating slide 20. When the parts are in their lowered normal position, the coin slots 35 and 36 register with each other and also with the main coin slot 42 of the machine case, so that a coin can be readily introduced to a position upon the arms 19 constituting the coin holder. After thus introducing the coin, the operating slide is lifted with the result of carrying all parts to the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. lt will be observed that in this movement the guard plate 37 is moved a suflicient distance to carry its slot 36 above the plane of the machine slot 42 and thereby close the machine against the introduction of the coin until all parts have returned to their normal position shown in Fig. 3.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many 'advantages of the herein described machine will be readily apparent without further de-` scription, but at thisV point, attentionis directed to the fact that to assure lcertainty of operation, and the roper positioning of the coin, it is preferab e to form the abutment lug, at what may be termed theback corner thereof, with a downwardly projecting stop projection s which actsin the capacity of an arresting stop to provide for arresting the inserted coin directly beneath the abutment 25 when the `latter is down.

I claim: Y y

1. In a machine ofthe'class described, the case, a reciprocating `plunger having a slide and provided at its bottomwith a coin de` fleeting tray, and a reci rocating operating plunger having a coin Iholder lying above said tray and adapted to carry and hold the coin against a liXed art of theplunger.

2. In a machine o the class described, the case, a vertically reciprocating discharging plunger provided at the bottom with a coin deflecting tray, and a vertically reciprocating operating plunger havinga coin holder adapted to be coupled with the discharging plunger by the coin. l

3. In a machine of the class described, the case, a reciprocating discharging plunger provided at one end with a coin deliecting tray and above the plane of the latter with an abutment lug, and an operating slide having a coin holder lying above said coin tray and a coin slot in the plane of said holder.

4. In a machine of the class described, the case, p a reciprocating discharging plunger rovided at lts lower end with an abutment ug and below the plane of the latter with a coin delecting tray having a centrally located upstanding coin rest, a reciprocating coin yslide having a pull knob and rovided with a coin slot and in the plane of t 1e latter with va coin holder consisting cfa pair of spaced supporting arms, a shiftable guard p ate also having a coin slot and su ported :tor limited vertical play at one side o the operatingy slide, and a reciprocating spring connection between the guard plate and a fixed part of the operating slide.

5. In a machine of the class described, the machine case, a vertically reciprocating discharging plunger provided at its lower end with an abutment and a coin delecting tray,

a reciprocating operating slide having a coin slot and a coin holder, and a xedly positioned ejecting spring arranged in the path ofthe coin and carried by the coin holder.

In testimony whereoi1 I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. RAYMOND I. HILL. Witnesses:

`ELIZABETH ROTHGERY, ToM I. JOHNSON. 

